blue jays

Blue Jay Fledgling Update

Rae Spencer3 Comments

Blue Jays June 9

The blue jay fledglings continue to visit on a daily basis, always together. They rarely venture more than a few yards from each other.

Blue Jays June 9

They are beginning to forage on their own, sampling insects they find in the grass and on the fence, but they haven’t started eating from the feeder.

Blue Jays June 11

Blue Jays June 9

Blue Jays June 9

Blue Jays June 11

Blue Jays June 11

I suspect most of their foraging behavior is driven by curiosity, rather than hunger. Their parents keep them well fed.

Blue Jays June 11

Blue Jays June 11

Blue Jays June 9

Both of them.

Blue Jays June 9

A few days ago, they discovered the water. They drank and bathed, copying their parents.

Blue Jays June 11

But they also spent a great deal of time dropping things in the dish. Leaves, worms, small twigs–almost anything they could pick up went straight into the water.

Blue Jays June 11

They seem to have solved the water’s mystery, since that first day, and I haven’t seen them testing it again.

Blue Jays June 11

I wonder if their parents watch them, like I do, and feel a twinge of pride as the fledglings explore and grow.

Blue Jays June 11

Storm Interlude

Rae Spencer5 Comments

Rabbit May 21

Tropical Storm Andrea’s rain passed over our area this morning, and now the wind has arrived. Reason enough to stay indoors and organize the archive. Here are a few photos that I’ve been saving for a rainy day.

Blue Jays June 3

Dragonfly May 28

Chickadee May 31

Unknown Bird May 17

The bird in the above photo moved through the yard too fast for me to get a good look at it. I would love some help with identification, if there is enough information in the photo.

Also with the next bird, which I believe is a brown thrasher?

New Bird June 6

I hope Andrea’s rain and wind prove to be nothing more than an inconvenience to everyone in its path…

Blue Jay Fledglings

Rae Spencer2 Comments

Blue Jays May 28

A pair of sleepy blue jay fledglings visited the yard this morning. When I approached they stirred a bit, mirroring my curiosity.

Blue Jays May 28

Then they settled back to their naps as I entertained myself imagining their morning adventures. How exciting it must be, to discover that you have wings! And to explore a world that multiplies and expands with every new tree and every new yard.

Blue Jays May 28

Exciting, but also exhausting.

Blue Jays May 28

Wings in the Yard

Rae Spencer2 Comments

We bought this speedwell because it was advertised to attract butterflies. I haven’t seen any butterflies on it, but it draws a lot of wasps.

The wasps chase everything away from the speedwell’s bed, but Blue Dasher dragonflies patrol all the other beds.

And, as predicted, Halloween Pennants have begun to arrive.

The bird feeders get less traffic than the flower beds, but not by much. Doves are our most frequent diners. And the hungriest. This one ate so much it could barely fly.

Doves are the most numerous birds in the yard, but the blue jay fledglings are the loudest.

However, their cries cannot compete with the Blue Angels, who are in town for a weekend airshow. The show’s flight path takes them right over our yard…

Blue Jay Fledglings

Rae Spencer4 Comments

The blue jay fledglings are beginning to spend some time in the open. I wonder if it’s due to growing confidence, or if it’s more a matter of growing hunger. It seems to be a lot of work, keeping them fed…